The 12-1 shot Americain produced a high-class performance to win over the partisan Flemington crowd and take the 150th Melbourne Cup for globetrotting Frenchmen Alain de Royer-Dupre and Gerald Mosse.

Mosse, 43, has ridden at the highest level around the world for well over 20 years, being largely based in Hong Kong since 2001. The jockey's experience came to the fore in a race run in a downpour as he carefully kept So You Think, the shortest-priced favourite in the race for 39 years, in his sights throughout the two-mile contest.

Although So You Think, sent off at 2-1 on course, struck the front with two furlongs to run, there had always been doubts over his ability to see out the trip and having pulled wildly for his head in the early stages behind a slow pace, he had nothing left to give when Mosse's mount swept past to score by 2¾ lengths giving the winning rider time to blow a kiss to the 120,000 racegoers at the track.

Six-year-old Americain, who had shown useful form in France earlier in his career, was languishing in America when bought seven months ago by Australian businessmen Gerry Ryan and Kevin Bamford, who returned him to France and the care of Royer-Dupre, under whom the horse has flourished.

Victory in the Geelong Cup last month helped establish Americain's credentials. Significantly, Media Puzzle, one of just two previous European-trained Melbourne Cup winners, also won in Geelong en route to the main prize in 2002.

"I've won some big races around the world but I want to thank everyone here for being so fantastic, especially the owners for having confidence in a French jockey," said Mosse. "I was pretty confident as every time I have ridden him he has got better. I did not want So You Think to get too far ahead but with 300 metres left, I knew the race was over. It was really easy - I waited for the gaps and the horse had everything."

Americain will now head to Hong Kong for next month's Hong Kong Vase before returning to France to enjoy a winter break before being aimed at Melbourne again next year.

"I don't think it suited him to be trained in America, but I remembered seeing him when he ran in France," said Royer-Dupre, who also sent out stablemate Reggane to win the Grade One EP Taylor Stakes in Canada 10 days earlier.

"I first ran him in a Listed race in June. He was only fifth but I knew he was a good horse then. We have a Group One on Arc weekend [Prix du Cadran], and I thought he would win that, but the owners said it would be a great experience to go to Melbourne. The quarantine is very heavy and he had to be managed for a long time. The preparation over such a period by my staff is the most important achievement."

Godolphin's Holberg fared best of the other European runners in sixth, just ahead of Manighar (seventh) and Illustrious Blue (ninth). Luca Cumain's Bauer was a late non-runner with a hoof injury.